BNP leader involved in Kunio Hoshi Killing

Investigating officers have said they are certain about the involvement of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader in the killing of Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur.The investigating officers claimed that Kunio’s business partner Humayun Kabir Hira made a confessional statement in a Rangpur court on Wednesday.In the confessional statement, the name of BNP leader Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel also came as the mastermind of the killing, according to the investigating officers.On last 3 October, Japanese national Kunio Hoshi was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Kachu Alutary village in the outskirt of Rangpur city.Shortly after the killing, police arrested Humayun Kabir Hira from the Rangpur Medical College Hospital.Kunio Hoshi came to Rangpur through a Bangladesh expatriate in Japan, Zakaria Jamil. Zakaria told Prothom Alo that he himself requested Humayun to cooperate with Kunio as they knew him for long.Officials in the law enforcement agencies said Humayun made the confessional statement after 25 days of remand in two phases.They said he was put on remand from 5 to 14 October and again from 14 to 19 October in the Kunio killing case. He was again taken on remand on 19 October, after showing him arrested in a case filed in connection with the killing of two siblings in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion on 15 July at Dhap, Rangpur.The investigation officers claimed Humayun confessed in his statement that his brother Kamal had communication with BNP leader Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel.

According to the law enforcement agencies, Humayun admitted that Kamal and Habib-un-Nabi in cooperation with each other carried out the killing and Humayun knew that from beforehand.When contacted by Prothom Alo to get his comment on the investigators’ claim about Humayun’s confessional statement, Rangpur district police superintendent Abdur Razzak, however, said he knew nothing about the issue.“I know nothing. If you know anything about it, I have nothing to say,” he added.Earlier talking to the Prothom Alo, Humayun’s wife Parvin Khatun said Humayun rushed to the hospital no sooner he had heard of the news that his business partner Kunio was shot.But police arrested him from the hospital and none of his relatives were allowed till now to meet him.

Humayun was taken on remand after he was showed arrested on 5 October. His wife accused the law enforcers of torturing Humayun even before he was shown arrested.On condition of anonymity, a police officer told Prothom Alo yesterday that they are looking into the huge amount of transactions in the bank accounts of Humayun and his brother-in-law.Police are hunting Humayun’s brother-in-law who is a service holder in a private bank.Police suspect that the killing was carried out politically with money from abroad.Investigation officers said they showed the photographs of some suspected killers to witnesses of the killing—rickshaw-puller Munnaf Ali who was carrying Kunio and a youth Murad Hossain.The killing took place in front of the house of Murad Hossain.But none of the witnesses confirmed any of the photographs.

The head of the government’s probe body and Rangpur Police Range’s deputy inspector general Humayun Kabir told Prothom Alo that it is certain that the killing was not a sequel to any trade or business conflict.“The plan for the killing was devised in a coolheaded manner. No such evidence was found on the killing site, barring the front of a bullet, and the bullet has been examined. But the report is yet to reach our hands,” he added.According to Kaunia police station, two people have been arrested so far in connection with the killing. The other arrested man is Rangpur city BNP member Rashed-un-Nabi Khan Biplob, brother of Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel.He was also put on 10-day remand on 5 October. He, however, was sent to jail on 10 October.